#GivingTuesday 2017

#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. It’s a day to reflect on the issues and causes most important to us, and to kick off the giving season by supporting organizations working to tackle the big challenges. For the third year in a row, Visceral is supporting our employees to give to the causes that mean the most to them. Here’s what we’re supporting this year. Where are you showing your support today?

Jay Buys – Red Cross – Hurricane Maria Disaster Relief

Puerto Rico is home to approximately 3.4 million people. Each of those people is a natural-born United States citizen just like you and me, and right now they’re experiencing a disaster of catastrophic proportions and the largest power outage in American history with over 40% of residents still without power today. While the official death toll remains at 55, unofficial reports put it at 9 times that number. 10% of it’s residents are without water and thousands are still living in shelters after their homes were destroyed by Hurricane Maria. With damage estimates in the tens of billions of dollars, it’s clear that the road ahead for Puerto Rico is long and uphill so I’m proud to donate this year to the Red Cross.

Matthew Billingsley – SAE Foundation

This year I am pledging my donation to SAE Foundation to support and advance STEM education (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) for K-12 students nationwide. There has been increased and unnecessary scrutiny of science-based policy in 2017. This is a recipe for harmful long-term effects on science-based education in the future. Ensuring we have skilled and inspired individuals to continue seeking innovations in technology, environmental and climate science, space exploration, programming, and engineering will have a positive impact on our society for generations. There are several champions of STEM education and no shortage ofplaces togive.

Allegra Poggio – Earth Rise Law Center

The environment is under threat and it needs strong advocates and minds to support it. This year, I decided to donate to Earthrise. Earthrise works to protect the environment and trains the next generation of environmental advocates to fight for laws that protect our air, water and wildlife. As part of the Lewis & Clark Law School, Earthrise Law Center is the largest environmental law clinic in America. It is made up of a team of attorneys and staff that are working to achieve targeted environmental improvements while they train the next generation of advocates to do the same. I have hope that these bright legal minds will help us to protect our environment now and into the future.

Dana Jensen – Tisch MS Research Center of New York

Last month, my mom was fortunate to receive a stem cell treatment due to her Multiple Sclerosis. After trying anything and everything that’s on the market for MS, this has been the most promising progress to treat MS or to even explore what causes it. Stem cell treatments have given our family hope. While still new, the progress has been wildly positive and the continuing trials around the treatment have been overwhelmingly successful. I decided to donate to the Tisch Research Center, specifically their phase 2 stem cell trial to support the progress they are making and the hope they are giving me.

Misha – American Civil Liberties Union

The current national landscape has led to an overwhelming amount of civic issues that require ongoing attention and support. That’s why I’ve chosen to donate this year to the ACLU. Made up of activists, members, and supporters, the ACLU has been fighting for civil liberties for nearly 100 years. They practice extensive litigation, communications and public education programs. With local offices fighting community battles to cases that end up before the Supreme Court, ACLU members work tirelessly to uphold democratic principles and liberties afforded to us by the Constitution. I support this organization and their work in such areas as criminal justice reform and upholding privacy rights.

Travis – ProPublica

This year I’m donating to ProPublica, an investigative journalism nonprofit whose aim is to “expose abuses of power and betrayals of the public trust by government, business, and other institutions.” We are living in an unprecedented time where the media and journalism are being demonized and illegitimized by some who are in power. Independent journalism is a cornerstone of keeping society’s forces in check and it is wholly necessary for organizations like ProPublica to exist to seek the truth and inform the public of wrongdoing. Knowledge is power and I believe that ProPublica’s in-depth reporting spurs positive change and enhances the public good.

Allen – Water Mission

As a citizen of the United States, it’s easy to take for granted our access to the most basic essentials for life. This year I chose to donate to Water Mission after witnessing their impact first hand through the volunteer work of a close family member. While there are other organizations that focus on bringing clean water to populations in need, it is the technical innovation of Water Mission I found most intriguing, as well as their willingness to get into hard-to-reach communities to serve those in need.